Commentary

By Tom Price Chairman of the House Budget Committee September 7, 2016 Permalink Our constitutional system was carefully designed to prevent any one branch from seizing too much control over the entire government. Only Congress can write legislation; only the President can execute the laws; only the courts can judge whether the laws are constitutional. This balance of powers, however, does not maintain itself. It is a dynamic equilibrium requiring each branch of government to protect and fully ex...
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By House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price and Vice Chairman Todd Rokita April 13, 2016 Permalink The American people are frustrated. For too long, they have seen too many in Washington standing in the way of responsible decisions that need to be made to secure our country’s future. Despite the fact that there has been some success – including cutting the deficit by over $800 billion – pushing back against the tax more/spend more agenda of President Obama, citizens are keenly aware that far mo...
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By Tom Price Chairman of the House Budget Committee July 30, 2015 Permalink Today marks 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Social Security Amendments of 1965, creating Medicare and Medicaid. For five decades, seniors, as well as those with long-term illnesses, disabilities or limited means have relied on these programs for access to health care. American workers have paid taxes with the understanding that if or when the time comes, Medicare and Medicaid would be there fo...
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By Tom Price Chairman of the House Budget Committee March 17, 2015 Permalink At the core of America's character lies a founding belief that we as a people ought to always strive to build a better, more innovative, open and free society. When we look at America today, we see a nation that is not living up to its economic or leadership potential, and the reason why has nothing to do with the quality and character of the American people. Rather, Washington has been unable or unwilling to tackle big...
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By Rep. Tom Price - January 23, 2015 - Permalink President Obama calls higher taxes, more bureaucracy and Washington spending “middle class economics.” Yet it’s those economic policies that have created a recovery that’s been particularly lousy for America’s middle class. Wages have stagnated; median income is down and GDP growth is worse than any recovery in the modern era. According to the most recent data available from the Federal Reserve, real median household income for the middle fifth of...
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This week, our economy received some bad news: The International Monetary Fund revised its projection for U.S. economic growth this year to just 1.7%. Working families will pay the price. Real median household income is still lower than before the recession. Deep poverty in America has reached record levels over the past three years. We need to expand opportunity in this country. And to do that, we need Washington to get its act together. Each year, the federal government spends almost $800 bill...
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For the fourth year in a row, House Republicans have passed a balanced budget. Each time, we've put forward a plan that stops spending money we don't have, creates jobs with pro-growth reforms, strengthens the safety net, and expands opportunity for all. And each time we've learned a little bit more about where the two parties stand. If you look at President Barack Obama's budget -- Senate Democrats refused to write one this year -- it's clear where he and his party place their trust: Washington...
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The world is less safe when America doesn’t lead. But for President Obama, this lesson has yet to sink in. In February, he offered a budget that would cut crucial funding for our national security. So tomorrow, House Republicans will pass a budget that would give our troops the funding they need. First, let’s put things in perspective: For decades, defense spending made up roughly 50 percent of the federal budget. Today, it’s just 18 percent. And if we stay on the current path, the Congressional...
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One day at Pulaski High School in Milwaukee, a fight broke out between two students. The staff separated them, but one of the students, a young woman named Marianna, refused to relent. She continued to fight—now with the staff—and to cause a stir. Then a call went out over the school radio for "Lulu" to respond. Soon, Marianna began to calm down. Once she arrived, Lulu quickly defused the situation. Of all the people at Pulaski High—all the teachers and administrators—only one person got through...
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Yesterday, Senator Patty Murray and I introduced the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. It’s the first budget agreement of its kind since 1986, and I’m proud to support it. This bill will reduce the deficit by $23 billion. It won’t raise taxes. And it will cut spending in a smarter way. It doesn’t go as far as I’d like. But it’s a firm step in the right direction. First, let’s remember how we got here: In 2011, President Obama signed into law the Budget Control Act. The law tasked a twelve-member “s...
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